The terrified runaway
by mortal-paralight
Summary: Ever wonder what happened if Jasper had actually bit Bella at her birthday party? And what would happen if Bella felt that she wasn't wanted anymore? What outcome would happen if she left and didn't come back? The story's better than the story, trust me:
1. Preface

**Alright so I had a brilliant idea for a story and I figured that I just **_**had**_** to write it. Ok so here's the summary:**

**Ever wonder what happened if Jasper had actually **_**bit**_** Bella at her birthday party? And what would happen if Bella felt that she wasn't wanted anymore? What outcome would happen if she left and didn't come back?**

**So, let's see what happens in the preface. READ AND REVIEW!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Preface

Pain… a scorching pain that ran through my entire body. It was the only reminder that I was still alive. If there were no pain, then there would be no life left in me. It must happen a lot these days. My mind could not remember the last time that there was so much pain in my system. Could there be a bigger hell than this?

But… it would save Edward the regret of having to worry about me constantly. He wouldn't have to save me every single day of the week. My heart would long for him but they would be happy… They would not live in guilt or remorse, knowing that I could be in danger anywhere I went. No more staying behind… No more worrying… Everyone would be better off without me in the picture.

It would hurt my heart more than ever before but… it was necessary. It was needed.

But… how could I leave my one true love? What if they would be alright with this? Probably not… He didn't want me like this. They wouldn't accept me.

The only solution is to leave.

But… would it be the right choice in the end? Only my heart will tell.

**Alright so what did you think? Was it a pretty good preface? Hopefully. And don't worry I'll finish my other stories as well. They will not be forgotten. So please review to tell me what you think!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

2


	2. Friday the thirteenth

**Alright everyone, so sorry about the changing in the title. It was supposed to be **_**The Terrified Runaway**_** instead of **_**The Terrified Soul**_**. Sorry about that. Anyways, you guys get a preface **_**and**_** a chapter today. I changed the aspect of Bella's birthday party so hopefully it will be good for you guys. Alright, READ AND REVIEW!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Chapter 1

Friday the thirteenth

**Bella's Point of View**

Today was my eighteenth birthday. And it was probably the worst day of my life. Waking up, I found my dad giving me my birthday presents. He had given me a camera while my mother from Jacksonville had gotten a scrapbook to hold my memories from senior year in it. Who could ask for a better wake up call? Even though my nightmare had gotten the best of me, the day went on perfectly… until Alice Cullen told me she was throwing me a birthday party.

Worst. Thing. Imaginable.

But then, Edward Cullen, my incredibly beautiful vampire boyfriend, cheered me up for the rest of the day. He had tried everything imaginable: kissing me endlessly between classes, holding me close _during_ classes and even sending me that wonderful smile of his that made my heart skip a beat.

Although I absolutely hated parties, Alice, Edward's sister, was happy, and who could deny a pixie her fun? Surely no one.

"Everything's going to be alright love," Edward whispered to me before I started my old red Chevy truck. My boyfriend hated the idea of me owning a rusty old truck that couldn't go over fifty miles an hour but it was something precious to me. It was a gift from my dad and I just couldn't get rid of it, no matter how slow it was.

"Yeah, easy for you to say. You put up with those kinds of things constantly," I replied annoyingly. Sure, Alice was my best friend but sometimes, she took her parties _way_ too far.

"Not all the time. And besides Bella, none of us have had a real birthday party for decades. Please," He pleaded, catching my attention with those golden orbs of his. There was no way to refuse someone that beautiful. Sighing, I placed my lips onto his and kissed him truthfully. He had won me over, _again_.

"Fine, I'll go. But I'm not happy about this."

"We'll try to rein Alice in," He told me before embarking in his silver Volvo. Edward loved speed, and expensive cars. All the Cullens did. We both went our separate ways for now and decided that he would pick me up before going to the party. Normally, I'd be fond of going to the Cullen's house for the night but for a party? There was no point in celebrating my eighteenth birthday. Nothing special would come of it, except the fact that I'm getting older by the second.

Persuading Edward into changing me was like talking to a wall. You would never get what you want from it. Edward wouldn't budge. He said that he would never damn me to be a monster like him for the rest of eternity. How wrong could that man be? Edward was the furthest thing from being a monster.

Maybe he just didn't want me as a vampire. It would be too much for him to handle, having a newborn to take care and control for months on end. It would be a pain for him to have me by his side for the rest of our existence. I'd be a burden to him.

I had arrived home about fifteen minutes later and just went up to my room. Today was Friday the thirteenth. With my terribly bad luck, something was bound to happen. Something big… For the next five hours, I spent that time doing homework. Even though it was the weekend tomorrow, I'd rather have everything done and be able to spend as much time with Edward as possible.

Finishing my projects and homework a few minutes before Edward arrived, I figured eating and getting dressed would kill some time. Making a sandwich and eating quickly, I ran up to my room to get changed. Alice had bought me this wonderful dress a few weeks ago and it just so happened that this was the perfect time to wear it. It was dark green with a few black laces enticed in it, knee length and broad straps. Alice would even let me wear my running shoes, which was extremely surprising for her. She would never let me wear them with something this beautiful—and expensive.

The Cullens sure did like to buy expensive things. All of their clothes are designer and their house was magnificent. They were worthy of living in there. No wonder Edward didn't want me to be with him… Who would want me, Bella the klutz, to stand next to him? No one. I wasn't worthy of having him as a boyfriend. He should go for someone beautiful and charming and who's also able to be his equal in every way.

If he didn't change me, I would never be able to be that woman.

A doorbell rang interrupted my train of thoughts. Running downstairs was unnecessary since Charlie, the Chief of Police of Forks Washington and my overprotective father, had already opened the door for Edward.

"Hello sir," Edward mentioned politely as Charlie stepped aside to let him in. He was wearing a casual black suit with a white shirt under. His tousled bronze hair shone in the dim light of the hallway as he approached me with that dazzling smile of his. "I'm here to pick up Bella."

"Hi Edward. So, where do you plan on going?" I hadn't filled my dad on the party plans. Although it might have been the wise thing to do, well let's just say I'm not that wise. And perhaps Charlie had something planned. That was actually pretty cruel of me to do that. But hey, I just figured out today that Alice was throwing me a birthday party. He can't get mad at me.

"I was thinking of bringing Bella over to my house. Some of my siblings had something special planned for tonight," Edward mentioned solemnly while he grabbed my coat for me. Such a gentleman…

"Sounds like fun. Have fun you kids. Bella, you have a curfew, remember?" Charlie warned as he eyed me, brown eyes meeting brown eyes. My father wasn't too keen on having Edward around at night, not after what happened in Phoenix last spring.

"Don't worry Dad. I won't pass it, unless Alice keeps me overnight, which is highly possible," Edward and I both chuckled at that. Charlie had no problem with Alice. She could get Charlie to do anything if she set her mind to it. And, of course, my father would do it. 'If that happens, I'll call first. Or Alice will. Either way, we'll let you know."

Charlie hesitated for a few seconds before sighing and talking again. "Alright, have fun you two," He mentioned before Edward and I walked out of the house and we both entered his Volvo and drove off.

The drive to Edward's house was silent. No one felt like talking, but this happened a lot since last spring, ever since that sadistic vampire tried to kill me and I wound up in the hospital for weeks. Edward blamed himself for what happened to me—like usual—and said that he should leave me. Of course that was outrageous but if one day… he would want to leave, then I wouldn't stop him. Maybe begging would be an option but I would let him go. It would make him happy.

Once we arrived at his house, he ran up to my side of the car and opened the door for me, extending a hand for me as well. "Well, aren't we being the gentleman today?" I asked sarcastically while taking his hand. He smiled, the side of his lips coming to the corner of his eyes, and chuckled while we entered the house of vampires.

What I saw in front of my eyes shocked me to my very core.

There were flowers encircling every corner of this house. Along with candles that lined the walls, the room smelled exquisite. Everyone was lined in the hallway, all wearing long dresses or tuxes. Obviously, they couldn't rein Alice in for this event.

"Happy birthday Bella!" They all shouted and the blood rushed to my cheeks, making me cover my head in Edward's arm. Emmett's booming voice laughed at my gesture.

"Guys, you really didn't have to do this," I mentioned but they didn't listen.

"Of course we did. The last time any of us celebrated a birthday was for Emmett in 1935. And besides Bella, you just turn eighteen once. It's a good time to celebrate," Alice chimed in as she hugged me tightly. Of course Alice would be the one to hug me first.

"Thanks…" She let go and Esme, Edward's 'adoptive' mother, hugged me lovingly.

"Sorry about Alice. No one could rein her in once she has her mind set," Esme apologized motherly as her golden eyes bored into mine.

"Don't worry. It's fine." Looking across the room, I rolled my eyes and smiled at Esme. "Alright, maybe not but hey, Alice is having fun."

They all looked perfectly beautiful under all the lights from the candles. Their golden eyes were looking down at me—of course I'd be the center of attention today. No one could blame me for hating this day. It just meant that I would be another year older than my immortal seventeen year old boyfriend. Looking at all of them, a sensation in the pit of my stomach rose up. It was guilt. I felt guilty that they had to stare at a plain human girl standing next to the most gorgeous man alive. He didn't deserve me.

"Are you feeling alright love?" Edward whispered to me, his lips right next to my ear. His scent came right up my nostrils and it made my eyes close in pure contemplation. It was so mouth-watering.

I could just nod. Trusting my voice was dangerous at the moment. It would probably just betray me in the end. Edward's cold hard lips came to my cheek and a smile crept on my face.

"So, let's start opening presents!" Alice happily stated in as she grabbed my arm and yanked me towards the living room. Many presents lay on the beautiful black piano Edward played so often. But the gazing stopped when Alice handed me a large present. Wonder what it could be… "This one's from Emmett."

Looking at the large box in my hands, I could only imagine what it could be. But… that thought was automatically erased when my mind registered the weight of the present. It was like a feather, as weightless as a paper. Shaking it slightly, there was no noise that echoed from the box. What the hell? My eyes darted from the present to Emmett. He was smirking. "Emmett, what'd you get me?" I asked curiously.

"It's a sound system. But I already installed it in your truck. No need to thank me," He mocked with a large grin. Oh jeez… I bet he talked to Edward about my poor little truck.

"And when did you do this?"

"While you were doing homework." He smirked widely, his golden eyes shining with pure delight. Oh dear god… Now I have to be more careful what others do when I'm not looking.

"Jeez Emmett, don't do these kinds of things behind my back! And when'd you get my keys?" I wondered annoyed.

"Ask your boyfriend," Emmett answered as he looked at Edward. Oh no… He wouldn't.

"Edward…" I warned, my voice rising in slight anger and cheerfulness. Why would my one true love do something like that just for a birthday present?

"Sorry love. It was for its own good." Of course my truck had to pay the price. What else would it have to suffer just to be able to survive? Suddenly, the weightless box was switched with a letter. My eyes went back down to the letter in my hands, then to Alice. She had a large smile on her face.

"It's from Esme and Carlisle."

"We just thought that it would be a nice present," Esme added kindly as I opened the letter. But of course, my intuition about today was right. Friday the thirteenth was always the worst. The beautiful wrapping paper had sliced my palm and some blood escaped from the wound.

"Damn…" I mumbled as my hand squeezed into a fist, trying to get the blood to stop. Unfortunately, it didn't help.

"BELLA!" Alice had screamed but as my head rose to see her, Edward's cold hand went to my side and he pushed me into the piano. A crunch could be heard from my side as the impact against the piano broke some of my ribs. As I hit the floor under the rubble, my eyes rose to the action. Jasper was getting past Edward and the rest of the family just stood there shocked. What was happening? Suddenly, Edward lunged at Jasper but the blond man escaped from the lunge and ran towards me. Jasper passed Emmett and Carlisle in a rush, no one could stop him now. His eyes had become pitch black.

My eyes widened as Jasper arrived in front of me, opened my palm roughly and sunk his teeth into my wound, sucking some of the blood. The other Cullen members had regained their posture and tried to yank Jasper off but were unable until Alice took him off of me. The pain was immense. It was the same fire as when James bit me in the ballet studio. Nothing compared to it. My eyes closed and I tried my best not to scream. It would just hurt the others if any sound came from my mouth.

"Carlisle!" I heard Edward scream as slightly colder hands touched my burning skin. Fire started to consume every part of my body.

"I'm sorry but we can't suck it out this time. Jasper took too much blood. She's turning." Carlisle's voice rang through my ears as the pain consumed me and darkness took over.

**Ok so what did you think? REVIEW PLEASE!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

10


	3. Awakening

**Alright guys, now that exams are over, I can focus more on this story!!! And you guys probably have more time to read. So READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Chapter 2

Awakening

**Edward's Point of View**

Bella's small form lay writhing on the ground just under the broken piano. Jasper had gotten past me and attacked Bella, drank her blood and wouldn't stop until Alice had attacked him. Although he fought her, Jasper hadn't realized what he'd just done. Alice had called Charlie informing him that Bella would be staying the weekend with us, giving us enough time for Bella's transformation to end.

The thought that my Bella was turning into one of us, her soul being damned for all eternity, was the worst thing imaginable. Of course I could have her forever but not this way. Not so soon.

"Charlie wasn't too happy but he agreed," Alice informed me as I intertwined my fingers in Bella's flaming ones. It had been a whole three hours and Bella hadn't pronounced a sound. She was silent but not still. She slightly trashed every once in a while. Bella was strong. She was fighting for us to stop worrying about her. But that was nearly impossible to do.

"I'm so sorry Edward," I heard Jasper say from behind me. His voice was pained as he watched Bella lie there in the utmost pain. We had bandaged up her hand and tapped her ribs so they wouldn't hurt her. _I can't believe I did that… Oh I'm so sorry,_ Jasper thought sadly as he exited the room, followed closely by his mate.

The family members would come in to check on Bella every once in a while during her three day transformation. But my angel still did not yell for mercy. Her pain must be unbearable and she must believe that it would pain me to hear her ear-shattering screams. Good grief that woman was selfless, which was why I loved her until the end of time.

Her heartbeat had raced to an unnatural state—of course, what was happening to her now wasn't normal. Now, we were in the third day and Bella's heart beat too fast. Next, it would slow down quickly and it would stop completely, making her officially one of us. Her skin had become closely the same as mine and it was now as strong as mine. Sometimes, the sun would shine through the windows in the room and she would sparkle, making me wonder why this goddess had picked me out of all the men in the world as her partner.

"How much longer Alice?" I asked, not baring the anticipation of meeting my beautiful Bella's eyes. Even though they would be red for the first few months, it didn't bother me. She would still be the same.

"Two minutes and twelve seconds. Don't worry Edward, she'll be fine." _And beautiful,_ She added mentally with a grin on her face. My sister was also anticipating impatiently Bella's awakening. My Bella's hand tightened and her face scrunched up in pain. The ending was always the worst part. She shouldn't have to go through this.

"I'm so sorry Bella," I whispered to her as her face scrunched deeper in pain.

_Don't worry Edward; she'll pull through,_ Esme thought reassuringly as she placed a hand on my shoulder. Everyone had now gathered in the room, all waiting for the woman on the bed to wake up.

"I'm so sorry Bella. I love you," I whispered, waiting with the rest of my family to see my Bella's eyes flutter open.

**Bella's Point of View**

Pain, it was just so excruciating. The venom had now spreading through my entire body for three days now. I knew Edward was beside me, anticipating my awakening but there was no way screams could escape my mouth. It would cause him too much pain. He couldn't hear the pain in my voice. Even though I was burning on the inside, like a witch being burned alive at the stake, no amount of pain could make me hurt Edward or the rest of the Cullens.

But now the transformation was ending. I could feel it. The flames might have been intensifying but they were centering around one area: my heart. My back arched upwards in pain and my face scrunched up. The pain was now unbearable but still, no sound came from my lips. No one would feel my pain, maybe Jasper but he would probably keep a long distance from me, too ashamed to look at me in the face anymore.

All of this, it was all because of me. I was the weak human who made one lousy mistake and now, it hurt Jasper in the most inhuman ways. What a selfish person I was… How could _anyone_ do that to another? They wouldn't want me now for sure.

The pain died down after what seemed like hours and my heart slowed down at an inhuman rate.

Thump, thump. Thump… thump. Thump…

I opened my eyes at the last beat of my heart.

Everything was just so… clear! Every detail in the ceiling was enhanced, all the tiny spots on the walls was adjusted. They were now perfectly clear to me. My hearing had gotten better. I could detect birds chirping from deep in the forest outside the Cullen house, all the cars from the highway, even the sound of shoes against the floor. "Bella?" A velvety voice asked from beside me, making me lose my train of thought. Without a second thought, my mind went into defensive mode and I sprang to the opposite side of the room.

That voice… It was Edward! "No one's going to hurt you Bella. We promise," My love responded from in front of me. My eyes detected him approaching very slowly, even slower than a human. His arms were extended in front of him, palms towards me. He thought I was actually going to attack him. Stupid Edward…

Recovering from my stance, I stood up and suddenly, my eyes shifted and everything became… darker. Not physically but emotionally. Like everything had gone from love to hate and anger. Edward and his family looked at me in disgust.

"What's wrong?" I asked, my voice sounding like bells. It wasn't my normal voice. But then again, I might not look normal at the moment.

"You're just not…" Alice started but couldn't find the words to describe me. This wasn't starting off well.

"Not what we expected to be," Jasper finished but it wasn't on a good note. He meant it to hurt, just like I hurt him. They didn't think immortality suit me. A tug at my heart was beginning to form, a tug that forced my heart to start shattering.

"I cannot believe that I ever considered you as my daughter. It's impossible to see you standing next to us," Esme replied, her usual loving motherly voice completely gone. She hugged Carlisle, looked up at him and saw him nod in agreement. If I could cry, tears would be pouring down my face. The moment a new life starts for me and the family that could have accepted me didn't even think I suited with them.

"The love's gone. I can't feel anything towards you anymore," Edward mentioned, shrugging his shoulders and walking towards his family, not even bothering to look at me.

"You… you don't love me anymore?" I asked sadly, my new and beautiful voice cracked at the words. They… they didn't want me anymore.

"Nope. There are other women that I can go to that would _love_ to take me in. Like Tanya for instance." Tanya? Who was she? And would she love Edward more than I could ever? Probably. She could compare to him. That would be better for him. Edward would be happier with her. "I prefer blondes."

I closed my eyes and looked away. There was no point in staying here any longer. They didn't want me. That was obvious. Placing my hand against the wall, I found out that it was a glass wall. A window… perfect escape. There would be no point in staying any longer in they didn't want me so I could jump out the window and run. With my new abilities, they probably wouldn't even come after me.

"I'm sorry for being such a burden. I wish you all the happiness in the world." And with that, I opened the window carefully and jumped out, not too sure if there was such a way of getting hurt. It wouldn't matter anyways. If I got hurt, they wouldn't even bother looking me over.

But of course, I landed gracefully onto the floor. It felt like instinct, like some part of me knew how to do this forever. It came easily now. And running was easier than landing. "Bella!" Edward screamed from behind me as I ran into the forest. He didn't sound loving, more like he didn't finish gloating his hatred for me. Oh… Why couldn't there be some way that I could just go back home and lie in bed right at this moment? Nothing would make me happier.

And suddenly, a tug at my body came and the next thing I knew, my body was in my purple bed, looking up at the ceiling. What just… happened? One minute the forest was encircling me and the thought of being in my bed at home came through my mind, the next I was… here. Oh god!

Did I just… teleport?

My gift was to teleport. It was quite interesting if you asked me. And it was quite useful in situations like these, when you didn't belong anywhere and no one wanted to be with you. I was unloved now. Edward didn't want me now that I was a vampire and he just admitted it.

Getting out of my, my hands found their way into my hair and my eyes closed once more. Where would I go? Suddenly, a scent came up my nostrils, one I had never smelled before. It was just so mouth-watering. Charlie. My father's footsteps could be heard from my room and it just made me want to drink him dry… How could I think like that?! He was my father for crying out loud! Nothing would make me hurt him. I'd have to leave him to protect him.

I had to leave.

Grabbing all the clothes I had ever owned and shoving it in one large bag, dry sobs erupted from my chest. There was nowhere for me to go now, no family that wanted me. Charlie couldn't be anywhere near me. It was much too different for me to be next to him, now that I had just been changed. Once all the clothes were placed into the big bag, there was something else that I needed to do. Leave a note to Charlie and… Edward.

Grabbing pieces of paper and a pen, I started writing in a perfect handwriting. They wouldn't notice my sudden change of penmanship but, who cares now?

_Dad, _

_I know this is sudden but I have to leave. There's no way I can stay with anyone for now. But I'll be back. I don't know when but I'll come back. For you. _

_Love you with all my heart Dad. Don't worry about me. And don't try to find me. I can't be found at the moment. But don't forget that I love you and always will. _

_Please be safe Dad._

_Bella_

Dry sobs escaped my lips but Charlie couldn't hear them from downstairs. He couldn't see me. And I couldn't get near him. There would be too much danger for him. The venom filled my mouth at the thought of Charlie's blood at my disposal. No, I would not be a monster, even though drinking animal's blood would make me like one of the Cullens who didn't want me. It's pointless for me to keep thinking about this, about them. So, to finish the thought, I grabbed the second letter and wrote Edward's name at the thought. There were only eight words that came to mind and they seemed to fit in the context.

_I will always love you. Please be happy. _

This was the most painful thing I've ever done in my life but it was necessary. There was no point in trying to hold onto someone who didn't want you. He would like Tanya better. She was better than me.

I ran to Charlie's room—holding my breath of course—and placed the letter onto Charlie's pillow. "I love you Dad," I whispered while kissing the letter and placing it down sadly. Next, I went back to my room and placed the letter to my former lover onto my bed. Charlie would find his letter later tonight but Edward might never come looking for this. But it was still the right thing to do.

Dry sobs erupted once more while I jumped out of the window and landed gracefully onto the grass. No one was around to spot me, thankfully. Turning my head around to look at my house one last time, I closed my eyes and sighed before departing for a long time. But any vampire would notice my scent. They would come looking for me. But… with my new power, maybe I could avoid that problem.

Ok, what happened last time? My mind kept thinking that I wanted to be in my bed at home... Wait, thought! I needed to think of where to go and my power would do the teleporting for me. So, where to go? The airport maybe… But first, a bank was necessary. I needed money and the only way to access it would be to take my… college money. Oh, who was I kidding?! Me? College? Ha! Nice joke.

So, my first thought was the Seattle National Bank bathroom stall. No one would find me in there. "Goodbye," I finally said as the tug at my body returned and teleported me away from Forks, away from the Cullens.

**Ok so what did you think? A little heartbreaker? And what happened out there with the Cullens? Will Bella ever find someone to accept her? Find out and REVIEW!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

11


	4. Heartbreak

**Alright everyone, so if this chapter is a little boring, I'm sorry for that but I've been in a volleyball tournament all day and I had to get up early so it might be a little rusty but it will be better in the next chapter, I promise you that. So please, don't stop reading my story. It's just a little setback. So read and REVIEW!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Chapter 3

Heartbreak

**Edward's Point of View**

Why did Bella say those things?! She wasn't a burden at all. There was nothing about her new state that I wouldn't change for the world. She was the most wonderful in the world, just as beautiful as when she was human, maybe even more. Bella rushed out of the room so fast, it was hard to understand anything. My first instinct was to go after her.

"Bella!" I screamed while jumping out of the window and running after her, trying to catch up but she was extremely fast now, much faster than me. But then again, she was a newborn after all. But she slowed down somehow, and I was able to catch up to her.

The next thing shocked me.

In one fluid moment, she wasn't there anymore. Bella just popped out of the air, like a flash of light appeared one moment and the next, it's disappeared. I stopped directly in my tracks, amazed that my Bella had just disappeared by thin air. _What the hell was that?!_ Emmett asked as the rest of my family came behind me, amazed themselves at the turn of events. They all looked shocked by Bella's reaction when she first woke up. None of us had foreseen that, not even Alice. _Where'd Bella go?_

_She was here a minute ago and the next, she's gone, _Jasper said to himself, absolutely stunned. No one had seen something like this before.

_Did Bella just… teleport? It's very rare for newborns to receive a gift only minutes after their transformation but… Bella is special,_ Carlisle explained, trying to figure things out for himself.

"Why did she react that way?" Alice asked; the first one to speak since Bella left the room. At least Bella knew better than to break anything. But… now that I looked back at the scene, Bella's vision seemed clouded, as if she was seeing something completely different than us. It was quite strange that she acted that way; that much was certain. But the real question is: why? "She knows we care about her."

"Yes, it's quite surprising that Bella would think she is a burden to us. But we can't dwell on this too long. We have to find her and explain ourselves," Carlisle explained, even though he knew we didn't need to explain ourselves. Something must have gone wrong during Bella's transformation, although we could see nothing wrong. She acted the same way we all did during our change but something must have been different. It had to be…

"But where would have she gone to? I can't pick up on her scent," Jasper explained as he sniffed the air. It was true. Bella's scent had completely been washed from the forest. It was as if she never even penetrated the woods.

"Think about it, where would be the one place she feels safe when we're not around?" Alice asked, as usual being the first one to speak when we're not thinking clearly. Everyone thought for a moment and tried to make sense of the situation.

And it dinged on us at the same moment.

"Her house," We all said at the same moment. Alice nodded with distaste, as if she didn't like the fact that Bella was running away from us for no apparent reason.

"Then let's go," Esme chipped in and we all ran for Bella's house. Rosalie didn't like the idea that we were racing to find Bella but then again, Rosalie never liked my angel. We all raced through the trees and tried to arrive there in time to stop Bella but something told me we would be too late.

_This doesn't make sense. Why would she think we were a burden? We love her so much,_ Esme thought sincerely as the trees zipped past us in a green haze. But my mother always considered Bella family. It was unusual that Bella would think that we wouldn't accept her. And she asked me herself if I didn't love her anymore. That was impossible. She caught my heart the moment I set eyes on her.

The scene replayed in front of my eyes as we raced to Bella's house.

_Bella had just across the room in front of the window in a crouch stance. She was afraid but it was understandable. Everything was just so new to her. "No one's going to hurt you Bella. We promise," I reassured her, palms extended to show we meant no harm. She recovered her stance and looked at me. But suddenly, her eyes became… darker. _

"_What's wrong?" She asked, her beautiful voice sounding extraordinarily like bells. It was quite ironic: her nickname being Bells for some. Now, her voice sounded like bells. _

"_Bella, what's the matter?" Alice asked, her voice sounding pained to see her this way. _

"_She's in pain?" Jasper asked worriedly and questionably. _I don't know what's wrong with her… She seems so… different, in a bad way. Her heart's hurting.

_Why would her heart be hurting? There was no reason for her to be hurting. We were there for her if she needed help. But… she seemed to be seeing past us. _

"_Bella, you're alright. You're safe," Esme reassured calmingly as she tried to remove the pained face on my angel's face. _

"_Esme's right Bella. You're safe love," I answered back, approaching her softly and slowly. Her eyes suddenly held more sadness than ever. Jasper gasped out in pain from the strong emotions Bella was emanating. _

"_You… you don't love me anymore?" She whispered sadly, her voice cracking at the spoken words. What?! How in the world could she ever think that?!_

"_What?! No… No. I love you more than anything. Bella, what's wrong?!" I asked frantically, trying to find the solution to this problem but found none in the end. She just closed her eyes and looked away from us, so painfully stricken. _

She's hurting so much… What happening? _Jasper thought sadly as he sent me images of her pain. It was just unbearable. No… What could have happened to my angel to make her say such things? This… this wasn't right. There was something wrong about this whole situation._

What's the matter with Bella? She's not acting normally,_ Alice thought, concerning her thoughts towards Bella. _

My poor daughter…_ Esme thought sadly as she looked at Bella's pained face looking away. There was no way of describing this moment. My poor angel looking broken and unloved. Wait, unloved? For what reason? She was surrounded by loving people who wanted nothing but to show her love and care but… Bella didn't seem to notice._

_Her hand went towards the handle of the window and she opened her mouth to speak. Wait… oh no… "I'm sorry for being such a burden. I wish you all the happiness in the world." And with that, she jumped. _

And now, we're back to the present, running to my Bella's house, trying to stop her from running away… if that's what she was planning. _I… Edward, it's not looking bright. Bella's not showing any signs that she wants to come back. She… she's packing,_ Alice thought sadly, looking at me while she ran through the forest beside Jasper. My face fell but that thought just made me run faster.

Bella just had to stay. She was part of the family.

_Stupid little brat… _Rosalie's thoughts were menacing and angry. She didn't like the fact that we were racing to see Bella. A small snarl escaped my lips when I turned my head towards her but Rose didn't back down. She kept running with us, just to be with Emmett.

But she wasn't happy about going to get Bella, as usual.

"Hurry guys, there's not much time left. I think we're going to be…" _Too late._ Alice thought and everyone ran faster, not having to hear the rest of her sentence, although I had heard them and loathed the thought that we would be too late. Bella would already be gone by the time we got there.

We arrived at the Swan Residence and Charlie's scent enveloped us. Every member of my family was used to Bella's father but the scent was powering, just like Bella's. It was a surprise Bella even came here. She knew Charlie was home. Wait a second…

Thump, thump, thump.

_Um… what to eat?_

A sigh escaped my lips. Charlie was well alive and thinking about food, again. Lately, Charlie Swan has been eating quite a lot, probably addicted to Bella's cooking. A part of me loved the fact that my darling angel hadn't taken into her thirst and drank her own father's blood. But then again, it's quite shocking. Newborns don't have this kind of control towards humans with tempting blood.

"Charlie's still alive?" Emmett asked surprised. _Whoa… Bella has some wicked control! That's my little sis!_ He cheered mentally. Of course he would act this way. I coughed slightly, trying to get him to gain control of _himself_ and he turned towards me, sensing my emotions. _Um… right. Alright, let's go get Bella back!_ That's more like him.

"But how can she have so much self control?" Carlisle asked worriedly. He'd never seen anyone, a vampire who had lived off of animal blood forever or even a newborn, with as much self control as Bella Swan.

"Maybe we were wrong. She might have just gone somewhere else," Rosalie butted in impatiently. _When can we go home?_ She thought as her fingers intertwined inside her hair. How self-centered can you get?

I sniffed the air and smelled… fresh freesia. Bella had definitely been here. Her scent went from her room, straight into the woods and then, it vanished, like it had before in the forest close to my house. "No, she was definitely here. And we _are_ too late," I said flatly. We were too late. But… where would Bella go?

"Let's see if she left any sort of clues for us," Carlisle suggested and everyone nodded. Rosalie sighed deeply and shrugged her shoulders. We climbed up to Bella's room to find it empty. Her dresser was open completely, showing its emptiness. Her room was quite neat. Now that she was gone, everything just seemed to be sucked out of me. My heart was no longer filled with warmth. Bella had taken all of the warmth with her when she ran away.

"Edward, look," Alice mentioned, showing me a small letter addressed to me in a beautiful penmanship. What could this letter hold for me?

_I will always love you. Please be happy. _

Those eight words burned at my heart. She wanted me to be happy but I was happy whenever she was with me! How could she think that I held no happiness with her? _Edward, what do we do?_ Esme asked but Alice was already trying to figure that out. Her eyes were blank, looking into the future. Suddenly, her vision hit me as well.

"_How may I help you, Miss?" A man in a fancy dark blue suit with short brown hair, a pair of glasses on the tip of his nose and a sheepish face asked. _

_My Bella sat in a financial chair, staring at the man with ruby red eyes. The businessman did not question her look but only looked at her with worry. But Bella didn't want to cause trouble. She did look at the man with bloodlust but she ignored the sensation. "I'd like to withdraw all of the money in my account," She answered sweetly but the man didn't seem to question her intentions. What money would she be withdrawing? Oh no… don't tell me…_

"_You're Chief Swan's daughter, right?" The man asked but Bella just didn't want to answer it. _

"_Would it be possible to remove the money from my college fund account?" She asked impatiently. Bella didn't want to stay here any more than the man wanted to have her as a customer. _

_The man didn't ask anymore questions as he started typing on the keyboard some information in the computer. "Um… how much would you like to withdraw?" The man asked worriedly. _

"_All of it," was her simple answer and the man just looked at her surprisingly. But he just coughed and started signing a small sheet of paper. He cut it apart from the rest and gave it to Bella. She signed it in a messy handwriting—trying to resemble her old signature so there wouldn't be any problems—and gave it back to the man nevertheless. She wasn't worried about the consequences._

"_And how would you like this payment?" _

"_In cash, please," Bella confirmed with a smile and the vision ended just like that. _

My vision returned to normal and the rest of my family stared at me. Oh god… she was going to use her college money to run away! How could she? That wasn't like Bella. She worked hard to earn that money and now, she would just be wasting it away. _Edward, she's not acting normally,_ Alice thought sadly as she looked at me with saddened golden orbs. But my sister was right. What had gotten into Bella? Maybe there were darker forces behind all of this.

"What did you see?" Jasper asked Alice as he enticed his arm around her waist once more.

"Bella's going to use her college money to stay away from us," Alice explained.

"But none of this makes sense! Why would she do it?" Esme asked, quite confused about Bella's actions.

"But we can track her now. If she uses her college funds, maybe we can trace where she uses it," Emmett suggested. Wow, he just said something smart for once. Quite shocking if you ask me.

Shaking my head, I spoke again. "We can't, unless you know how to track cash records. She took all of her college money out in cash, which means she knew that we'd try something."

"Damn she's good…" Emmett muttered under his breath.

"So, what do we do now?" Carlisle asked.

I sighed and looked at him seriously and thoughtfully. "We go looking for her."

**Ok so again, sorry for the little boring chapter but it will get better, I promise. So please REVIEW!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

11


	5. Thoughts

**Alright, so I'm getting a little bit of inspiration back so this should be a bit of a good chapter. It has some disturbing thoughts but hey, Bella's going through a lot. So, please READ AND REVIEW!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Chapter 4

Thoughts

**Bella's Point of View**

Day one.

I had already picked up my college money and was hitting the road very soon. The man at the bank was quite scared of me, which didn't inconvenience me in the least. Fear was a good thing. It meant that they wouldn't ask you too many questions. They would get rid of you as fast as possible.

When I finished at the bank office, my first thought was a place far away from Forks and, what do you know, it brought me to a damp desert. Where in the world did my new power bring me? I'd have to train it to be able to master it fully. A burning sensation in my throat made me bring my hand to it. I remember… Edward… telling me that the burning sensation usually meant that one was hungry.

But… I wouldn't drink from a human. Never.

But where would I find an animal in a desert? There weren't many out here in the first place. Looking up at the sky, I saw that the sun was out, shining rays after rays of pure sunlight on the harm desert. Wait… if the sun was out, then… My eyes darted from the sun down to my arms.

They were sparkling, like thousands of diamonds had now been embedded in my skin. It was absolutely stunning. This scene not only brought happiness, but it brought sadness. I was just like him now, and he didn't want me. None of them did. They all thought that the fact that I was a vampire was a crime against humanity. Something like me shouldn't even exist.

My hands balled into fists at the thought. It was just so upsetting to know that I wasn't accepted anymore. _They_ didn't want me, I couldn't be anywhere near Charlie because of his scent, and _he_ didn't love me anymore. So, what was the point in living? Maybe… if I didn't drink for a certain period of time, then it would satisfy everyone.

But first, I had to get away from this sunlight. It would hide my shimmering beauty. The moment my eyes closed, y mind started to think of a city—that wasn't Forks—that was raining at this moment and the tug at my body happened instantaneously. Trickles of water poured onto my body the moment I teleported. Opening my eyes, I found myself standing in a forest close to a village. There were no signs indicating where I was, so the village's name was a mystery to me.

But the smell of humans was everywhere. With my thirst—if I evaded the fact that my throat needed to drink something—it wouldn't take very long until I would starve myself to death. That would be an interesting way to end my life.

Walking over to the village, I took in a deep breath and walked to my death.

**Alice's Point of View**

We'd been searching for Bella for a few hours and still we found nothing. The first few minutes, I had received a vision of Bella teleporting herself to a desert and she shimmered beautifully in the sunlight. But when she did so, it only brought her sadness. So, we took off to that desert but as we approached the Port Angeles airport, another vision hit me, this one of Bella in a forest just past a village. Her red eyes had now darkened, revealing the fact that she needed to hunt.

But what shocked me the most was that she walked into the village taking a huge intake of air and closing her mouth. She was actually going to enter a village full of humans on her first day of being a newborn. Edward had seen the vision and stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening at the scene. This was Bella, why would she do that? Unless… she had other intentions in mind.

"Alice, what's the matter?" Carlisle asked me as Edward and I had stopped simultaneously in shock. Every member of the family—even Rosalie, although she was extremely unhappy about this little turn of events—had stopped and looked at us worriedly.

"Did you see anything about Bella?" Esme asked, her motherly tone entering her voice. She was extremely worried that something terrible might have happened to her daughter.

"She… she's going into a village, her eyes were almost black," I explained sadly. They all gasped at the vision.

"Bella… she wouldn't… I mean…" Esme stuttered, sitting down on a log.

"But she didn't seem determined to drink someone's blood. There was something… different about her," Edward explained lifelessly as he joined Esme on the log. His eyes looked distant, as if a part of him had gone along with Bella. He missed her so much.

But he was right. There was something different about Bella's expression when she entered Mississippi, Alabama—yes, all of us were excellent with geography and locating cities and villages. But why would she go there? And what was her purpose? Just to get away from us? In my vision, Bella's face seemed saddened and lost, almost like Edward. But… her eyes showed something else. Like she wanted to… leave this world.

"Oh god!" I exclaimed, placing my hand over my mouth to escape my own thoughts. No, Bella wouldn't kill herself because she _thought_ we didn't want her anymore. She just couldn't! But… what if she would? Oh god!

"She wouldn't!" Edward snarled at me, hearing my thoughts.

_I'm sorry but… it's a possibility,_ I thought, ashamed of the thought.

"She would never. I know Bella!" Edward bellowed, standing only a few inches away from me. I wasn't afraid of my brother, I was afraid of my sister's actions. In what way did this benefit her or anyone else? We needed her and she just couldn't kill herself. Bella just couldn't.

"Someone mind explaining to us what's going on?!" Emmett asked irritatingly, breaking our staring contest. Edward closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers and looked at Emmett.

"Bella's going to starve herself to death," Edward mentioned lifelessly. Even the thought of repeating it out loud was hard to accept. Bella was just so full of life and loved to laugh. She just wouldn't kill herself because of this.

"The girl's gone suicidal. Not surprising, frankly," Rosalie muttered as she looked at her 'perfect' fingernails. A growl escaped from Edward's chest but seconds later, a growl erupted from my chest as well. Rosalie was so self-centered at times! It drove me insane!

"Back off, Rosalie," Jasper warned but Rosalie just looked at him obliviously.

"What? It's the truth. No one would go out around humans when they're only a few days—"

"Rosalie, that's enough," Esme warned and Rosalie immediately shut up. But she must have thought something awful if a snarl rose from Edward's chest. "Rosalie," She warned another time and Rosalie just walked away and sat far away from us. Esme turned her eyes away from Rosalie and placed them upon me. "Alice, where did you see Bella in your vision?"

"In Mississippi, Alabama," I explained and Emmett just looked at me shockingly.

"Damn! Alabama? Why would she go there?" Emmett asked confusingly and slightly still shocked.

"Well, she seemed really upset about seeing herself shine in the sunlight and Mississippi does rain a lot during this time of the year. It was a good place to hide."

"Well, she sure did pick somewhere far."

"Em, that's not the point and you know it. We could reach Alabama in less than fifteen hours."

"Well, then let's go. Why are we still sticking around here? I sure as hell won't let my baby sister kill herself!" Emmett boomed and everyone nodded in agreement, well except for Rosalie. She's just as stubborn as ever.

Everyone started running minutes after and we were all determined to stop Bella. Nothing would happen to her. But… there was something Rosalie had to understand. Slowing down to match Rosalie's speed, we were now running one beside the other. Rose looked at me for a second and returned her gaze towards the others running ahead of us.

"Rosalie, Bella's part of the family now. You're going to have to accept that," I told her and she just snorted.

"I don't have to accept her. Look what she's making us do. We've stopped living because she's about to kill herself. Not surprising. I mean, she went and found James, didn't she?"

"Because she wouldn't want us to get hurt in the process and you know that. Stop hating her and try to get to know Bella."

She snorted once more. "Whatever," She replied and ran faster, leaving me alone behind everyone else. Why did Rosalie have to resent Bella so much? Just because Rose couldn't have kids and Bella could? Just because Rose was a vampire and Bella wasn't? Those were _not_ good reasons to hate someone so much.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I ran faster and caught up with everyone. We were on our way to save Bella, no matter what.

**Charlie's Point of View**

Shock. That's all I felt. Well, that and sadness.

Why would Bells do this? Why would she just leave without a single word of warning to me or anyone? All she gave me was the heartbreaking letter that brought a few tears to my eyes. I never cry, but this letter was just incredibly hurtful. My only child left and I didn't know where she was. That's what worried me the most. She didn't tell me where she was going and she told me not to look for her.

Ha! The hell I wouldn't look for her! She's my _daughter_! She would tell me over and over in the letter that she would come back. But when? And where the hell would she go?! She just turned eighteen a few days ago! And where would she get the money?

A sudden thought hit me.

She wouldn't…

It's her college fund for the love of God! And she would spend it on running away?! God that girl was sometimes a hassle! But that's why I loved her.

I called every single police station around the Washington area and asked them to look for Bella. She had to be somewhere. While I called, the letter Bella wrote me in a fine calligraphy—yeah, this wasn't Bella's handwriting but maybe she got someone else to do it because hers is usually messy—was still in my hands, almost crumpled now.

When all the phone calls were made, I sat at the kitchen table and decided to call Renée. Maybe she would know where Bella was. It would certainly help to know a little more. She answered on the third ring.

"_Hello?_" She asked, all cheerful and happy. Oh, if she knew.

"Hey Renée, it's Charlie," I answered sadly and chocked a little from the bit of crying I did earlier. She seemed to see the change in my mood and immediately became worried, like she was many years ago.

"_Charlie, what's wrong? You sound sad._"

Alright, let's lay the truth out for everyone. "Bella's gone."

"_What?! What do you mean, she's gone?! Where is could she have gone?!_" Renée immediately started asking all of these questions. A small smile escaped my lips, even though it wasn't out of happiness. More like misery. Renée hadn't changed one bit. She would always worry so much about Bella, that's just typical Renée.

"I don't know. I called every police station in Washington and asked them to look out for Bella. But… I have a feeling that's not far enough. Do you have an idea where she would be?" She considered that for a few seconds and my heart sank.

"_Frankly, I don't know Charlie. Bella's unpredictable._"

"Yeah, don't I know that?" Well, that was worth a try. With a sigh, I spoke once more. "Well, thanks for trying Renée. I'll try looking into this further," I answered.

"_Well, she might have gone somewhere far from here. Bella always wanted to go visit the big cities. Maybe she went to Los Angeles or somewhere closer. Try looking South or something,_" Renée offered and I took that into consideration. Anything worked at the moment.

"I'll do that. Thanks for your help Renée."

"_I'll look over in Arizona. Maybe she's back home. You'll call if anything comes up?_"

"Will do."

"_Well, I better go tell Phil and we'll start searching. Can't believe Bella would do this…_" Frankly, neither could I.

"Yeah, same here. I better let you go. I've got to go look around town. Maybe she went to the Black's house," I answered.

"_I'll talk to you soon Charlie,_" She answered before hanging up. Placing the phone on the table, I ran my fingers through my hair and closed my eyes. If anything happens to my Bella or anyone tries to hurt her, then they're going to have to answer to me!

No one messes with my daughter.

**Bella's Point of View**

I'd entered a little coffee shop in this small town. There were a few humans that didn't seem to pay any attention to me. Hey, better for me. I won't bother them if they won't bother me. But their scents empowered me. It burned my throat even more. Good thing I had taken a large intake of breath before coming into the town or any of these humans would be dead right now, all because of me. NO! I can't let that come into my mind. No one would die because of me.

Walking closer to the counter, there were a few men standing there drinking coffee and doing Sudoku. Man, some of these people need a life. Or maybe I need one… Jeez. Sitting down, a few people looked at me weirdly and half of them looked away a few seconds afterward. A man beside me still kept his eyes on me. I tried to breathe normally but it came shallowly, like I was trying too much.

"You alright lady?" The man beside me asked. Looking at him, I saw that his expression changed immediately when my eyes met his. "Jeez lady! Is there something wrong with your eyes?!"

That got me curious. I'd never really looked at them after I changed. Grabbing the napkin dispenser, I placed it in front of my face and saw that my eyes were coal black. It showed that I needed blood, immediately. Weren't they supposed to be blood red? That's odd. Maybe it was because I was surrounded by humans on my first day.

"It's nothing," I answered lifelessly. The burning sensation grew and I closed my eyes at the pain. This was the first path to death. Pain first, then numbness, then death itself. Wow… when did I become so suicidal? When the Cullens decided that they didn't want me?

"Do you need something? Like a doctor or something?"

A small chuckle came from my burning throat. At the thought of having a doctor coming to see me, Carlisle came into my mind. His calming presence and mature working ethics just brought pain to my heart. The last time I saw him, he had his arm around Esme, agreeing that no one could see me in their family, that I didn't belong.

"No thanks, um…"

"John," He introduced himself hesitantly. Maybe I was just scaring the poor man. Lovely… In some way, maybe it was best. If he was scared of me, then he wouldn't bother getting to know me.

"Well, thanks for the offer John but I'm fine," I mentioned as a waitress came my way. Her blood sang in my throat, making her pulse pound in my ears. Closing my eyes, I didn't even look at her as I asked for a glass of water. She quickly served me the water and I drank it greedily, hoping the fire would die down. Unfortunately, John's blood started pounding in my ears, making it harder to stand here.

I had to get out of here. It wouldn't be long until I would slip. And that couldn't happen.

"Thanks," I mentioned before running out of the coffee shop as fast as possible at human speed, although it must have still looked a little suspicious. I'm only a few hours old, not even able to control myself around humans.

And there was no way that I would stay alive much longer if I stayed around humans. Maybe the process would be quicker.

But if I didn't teleport away from here, then there would be a lot of trouble around this town. Teleporting far away from here, the burning sensation in my throat didn't stop. Actually, it intensified. How long would it take for me to die?

At least the Cullens would be happy.

**So, what did you guys think? Yes, her thoughts will get better in the next chapter, I promise. I just wanted to prove what it felt like for her to lose the Cullens. It had a grand impact. And yes, it kinda looks like the cliff diving scene, the "apparent" trying to kill herself :) Anyways, REVIEW PLEASE!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

10


	6. Death

**Alright people. I'm really discouraged because there are four of my stories that have almost no reviews. **_**Silent Chase**_**, **_**In sickness and in love**_**, **_**Moonlight devotion**_** and **_**'Tis Dark Magic most foul **_**have had only two to four reviews. That's really making me sad. And unfortunately, that's making me feel like my stories are going downhill. Are they? You guys can tell me. So, read and review if you want. This story seems to be one that you guys like. **

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight.**

Chapter 5

Death

**Bella's Point of View**

The days kept passing and the burning sensation increased every day. I teleported myself every few hours, hoping that no one would spot me, and found myself some shelter in caves or in unpopulated houses. Most of the time, I closed my eyes and just sat there, trying very hard not to let myself slip up and attack an animal or even worse, a human. During the days, I tried my best not to attract too much attention to myself but it quickened the death process to stand next to humans. It might not have been for long but no matter. The burning increased to a point that was unbearable and unfortunately, it was a pain I had to live with until my last breath.

It had now been nine days that I had been on the road, trying to die a quick and painful death. Sure, my mind had now become suicidal and somewhat dreadful but since the… Cullens—it was harder to pronounce their names, much less think about them nowadays—pretty much deserted me in their own homes, there was no more hope.

My strength was draining fast and now, I know how _his_ father felt all those years ago when he tried to starve himself to death. But I just… quickened the process. It took weeks for… Carlisle to kill himself to no avail. This time, I took everything into consideration. Being around humans made me thirsty, which made the burning in my throat increase, which makes me weaker every single day. Even if _they_ didn't think I was smart enough or beautiful enough to be part of their family, no one could deny that I thought this one through.

Today, I checked the weather reports nearby and teleported myself to Bradford, Pennsylvania. It was about a day from Austin, Texas. Maybe you're asking: why Texas? Well, it was one of the stops that I'd planned because of the temperature, everyone would be outside. I settled into an abandoned house close to the beach and stood in the darkness—there wasn't much of it, trust me—and stayed close to the people lounging around. But Bradford was supposed to be raining today, perfect weather. Unfortunately, it took many times to arrive in Bradford. My power was weakening because of my physical state, making it close to impossible to teleport directly. My eyes had gone coal black many days ago. I hadn't spoken in three days, seven hours and twenty-eight minutes—yes, it was a habit of mine these days to count the time—and my voice was getting frail, making me an almost mute.

When arriving in Pennsylvania, I arrived to a small cliff, the water streams looking very calm. The forest was inviting, almost like a path to a different world, a magical one that didn't have any consequences. And there was a quaint little cabin on the edge of the cliff, the door swung open and no lights shown through it. It probably meant that no one was in the house.

The perfect house to lay low for a while.

I finally realized that it was raining. Hard. Looking up at the sky, the rain fell on my face but it also relaxed me. The rain calmed me. It made me think of everything that had gone well before my eighteenth birthday fiasco. Maybe it would have been better if I never moved to Forks. Charlie would have been the only one to suffer. Renée would have been thrilled to keep me, but it would have been awkward if I stayed around. She wouldn't have been happy if I was around when she wanted to be alone with Phil. It hurt Charlie when I left just a few days ago. It was obvious that my departure wasn't the best thing for him. Angela's probably worried about my leaving but would the rest of the school? Probably not.

Wow… everything's gone downhill these days. How many people would I have to hurt?

Looking back at the cabin, I swayed a little while approaching the little hut. This was it. It was starting. My death would be extremely soon. A small smile formed itself on my face. At least _they_ would be happy about this. Walking over to the house, I entered it and looked around. It looked like a science lab, without all the test tubes and chemicals. Thank goodness there was no blood around. Another whiff of it and I would probably die immediately. My chances of living weren't very large.

But I spoke too soon.

As I took a few steps forward, a strong smell hit my nostrils. It came from the right. Looking towards the scent, there was a small refrigerator. And I could only imagine what was in there. A bottle was standing on the top of the fridge, containing a red substance that was very alluring. Blood. It was of both kinds: animal and human, making both scents combined irresistible. My knees buckled as I closed my eyes and tried to catch my breath. It was hard to resist the smell. The blood was too tempting. But… who lived here? There wasn't a heartbeat anywhere within a hundred mile radius and there didn't seem to be any life.

"Who's there?" A female voice asked from in front of me. Okay, guess I was wrong on that one as well. My body swayed once more and I grabbed hold of the counter behind me, the only thing stabling me at the moment. Someone moved through the darkness and suddenly, I saw a pair of golden eyes. Oh no… Had they found me just to hurt my heart even more? Would I be able to handle anymore heartbreak? But my strength was fading faster each second, making my death come sooner than later. "Who are you and what do you want?" It was a woman. She had emerged from the shadows and stood in front of me. Opening my eyes slowly, I saw her fuzzily but still efficiently with my brand new eyesight. Well, it definitely wasn't any of the… Cullens. She had long black hair that fell to her sides, her golden eyes illuminating her perfectly pale skin, and wore a white blouse above a white tank top and blue jeans that showed her slim features. This woman would be a good comparison to… Rosalie.

My arm wouldn't support me for long and I had to act fast. Maybe I could live with her. She was definitely a vampire. But… would she accept me? I was a lost vampire that needed a home. But it was always a possibility to go from place to place like I had for the past nine days. But… it was worth the shot. "Help…" I muttered before my strength faded and my cold hard body fell to the floor numbly, the pain fading and turning into a quiet and soft numbness. Death was quite peaceful.

**Alice's Point of View**

We'd been running for days after Bella. But she was smart. She'd move from place to place every few hours and we'd have to turn around or run even faster. My sister has been starving herself faster than any other vampire I've ever known. Even Carlisle didn't want to die this fast.

Now, we'd been running all the way to Pennsylvania and suddenly, a vision hit me. And it was of Bella.

_She teleported herself to a small cliff and it was raining badly. Looking around, Bella found a cabin not very far from where she stood. Just as she was about to start her walk over to the cabin, she lifted her head up to the clouds and closed her eyes, thinking hard about something. And it seemed to pain her. Bella's face scrunched up at the pain she must be feeling. Poor Bella! Why did she ever leave?_

_Suddenly, she walked up to the cabin and swayed a little. Oh no… She was dying. A smile spread across her face at the thought. Why would she be happy about dying? We needed her! Avoiding the swaying, Bella walked over to the house weakly and went in. It looked like a science lab she had just entered, one that was dark and seemed extremely neat. Bella looked around and took a few steps before stopping abruptly. She stood still, her body going into shock. She closed her eyes and tried to catch her breath as Bella swayed once again. There was a small fridge in the corner of the room, and a bottle of red liquid stood on it. Blood. It was hurting Bella to even be in the same room with blood. She was on the verge of death and the burning in her throat must be terrible. Oh god! _

_She swayed even more as a woman screamed: "Who's there?" Bella positioned her hand on the counter, stabilizing herself against it to try and regain her strength. No. She couldn't die. Not now. "Who are you and what do you want?" The woman asked as she entered the room. It showed that she was a vampire: golden eyes, perfectly pale skin, beautiful features. She'd obviously give Rosalie a run for her money. Bella's strength faded fast as she looked the woman over. _

"_Help…" was my sister's final word as her body slumped to the floor and the vision faded. _

Oh no. "Alice, what did you see?" Esme had asked me but I ignored her completely. I tried looking into Bella's future but found nothing. Only darkness. It was as if her future went… blank… Oh dear lord! No! She couldn't be dead! Bella was so full of life. Now, it seemed as if she… didn't have any life left in her. Edward growled at my thoughts. He couldn't believe it either. None of us probably couldn't.

"Alice, what did you see?" Carlisle asked, snapping me out of my horrible thoughts. But as I opened my mouth, sobs erupted from my throat. Jasper wrapped his arms around me as the sobs continued. It wasn't possible. Bella couldn't be dead. It was just not possible! But we would be too late to stop this.

I wouldn't let Bella die! Looking deeper into her future, her future was still blank. Darkness surrounded my vision, indicating that Bella wasn't… No! It just wasn't possible! I'd look into the future every moment of the day if I had to. Bella was alive somewhere and I would find her.

"We'll find her…" Edward growled angrily at me. He saw the vision and didn't like it one bit.

"What is it? Will someone fill us in please? You're scaring me," Esme whimpered as she clung to her husband closely. They were scared for Bella's life. Aside from Rosalie, everyone wanted Bella safe and sound.

"She… Bella hasn't fed since she woke up nine days ago. Her strength was fading and she teleported to Pennsylvania, trying to hide once again. Once she teleported, Bella looked around and found a small cabin and went inside. But… there was blood inside. The house belonged to a female vampire, apparently a vegetarian because of her golden eyes. The other vampire asked what Bella wanted and tried to ask Bella questions. But they were never answered. Bella said 'help' before falling to the ground and the vision faded…" Everyone gasped. Surprisingly, so did Rosalie. She turned to face me with a face of pure horror. Did she finally start caring now that Bella was dying?

"What about Bella? Is she alright?" Emmett asked, hoping to get a good answer out of this. After all, it was Emmett's 'little sis' we were talking about.

"I… her future just… It's blank. There's nothing there anymore. I tried looking and I will keep looking as long as it takes until I find something. She is _not_ dead!" I exclaimed and Jasper just clung to me, tighter than ever, trying to calm me down.

"But what city in Pennsylvania did she go to? We're only a few days away. It can't take us that long to get to her," Carlisle asked as he tried to calculate how long it would take us to reach my sister. After all, with all the teleporting Bella did, it was hard to keep track of where she was headed. And it was even harder to keep onto her trail. Just two days ago, she teleported three days away from her original location, just to escape us. Now, she was about two days away from where we were. It would take at least a few hours to try and reach her.

"I… I didn't see. She was at a cliff. There was no sign of civilisation anywhere beside that little house."

"Ok, you said there was a woman there and she was a vampire. What did she look like?" Carlisle asked once again, trying to get more information out of me. But the thought of Bella… dead… was hard to come across. A part of me would know if she was really dead. Edward felt the same way.

"She had long black hair that came to her side, golden eyes and seemed to be a scientist. Her house had a lot of chemicals and test tubes." Carlisle pondered the description and seemed to realize something. "Do you know her?"

"I might, but we'll have to go to that cabin. It might give us a sign that would lead us closer to Bella," Carlisle said as he looked around, trying to find which direction to go.

"Let's go. I'm not just going to stand here and do nothing. I will find my love and bring her home," Edward said and rushed off towards the east, towards Pennsylvania. He would not stop until Bella was in his arms once again.

I stood up and ran behind Edward, looking into Bella's future but still found it blank. Damn it! _I won't give up…_ I thought to myself as we all ran at our full extent.

"None us will give up," Edward retorted angrily as we ran faster. "Bella's still alive. She's still alive," He kept repeating to himself, trying to believe it. But… it was a fifty fifty chance that we might be wrong.

Might is the correct term.

**Edna's Point of View**

This woman had fallen on my floor, close to unconsciousness. But she couldn't lose consciousness. She was a vampire; it was easy to tell by her eyes. They were coal black. She hadn't hunted in a while. But it seemed as though, by her weakness, she never hunted. Running up to her, I placed my two fingers to her neck and found her spirit extremely weak. Yes, that's right. My power is to heal and to feel a person's spiritual presence, to tell how powerful or weak it was.

And this woman was extremely weak. She needed blood.

Grabbing the bottle on the top of the fridge, I ran up to her and placed the tip of the bottle to her lips, rubbing her neck at the same time. She didn't respond for a few seconds but she finally drank it slowly and steadily. A sigh escaped my lips. This woman might have been an intruder but never in my entire existence have I let someone die under my roof. One look at her told me that she didn't have a family. Poor girl. I placed my arms under her knees and behind her back and ran to my bedroom. Of course the bed was unnecessary but if humans ever came to stay here, at least they would have a place to stay.

Making the woman drink more blood, I kept my fingers pressed to her neck, trying to feel her spiritual pressure. It seemed to be growing stronger but extremely slowly. At least she was going to survive.

She seemed interesting. Maybe it was best to keep her here under her own free will and try to dig more information from her. It was worth the try.

**Alright, so if you guys really care about this story, then review if you want. I just want to know if you guys care about these stories or not. I'm sorry for being so sad and unhappy about these reviews but I do love you all. And thanks for the people who have reviewed so far. So review please.**

**Bellacullenswan17**

9


	7. Edna

**Sorry for the lack of update! I've been trying to finish **_**Battered**_** and guess what? I DID! So, if you guys have time, you can go and read it! I hope you guys haven't stopped reading this story. I know it took me a while to get this chapter across but here it is! It might be short but you get to know a new character of mine better. SO READ AND REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!**

Chapter 6

Edna

**Edna's Point of View**

The woman's strength had been growing in the past few minutes. Almost an hour has passed since she had fallen in my kitchen. Unfortunately, she has not woken up yet. She had been breathing heavily and tried to regain her strength as much as possible. For a newborn, it must be difficult to go without blood.

After a few minutes, she stirred and fluttered her eyes open. It shocked me to see her orange eyes look around the room, seeing her surroundings. Amazing that after one sip of animal blood, she was able to change her eye color from red to orange. But maybe I was mistaken. Maybe she wasn't a newborn. After all, a newborn would never have the self control to thirst. The woman sat up and looked me straight in the eyes. "Hello," was my only response. She seemed agitated and controlled, as if anyone would hurt her at any second.

"Who are you?" She asked; her voice emotionless and cautious.

"Frankly, I should be asking you the same question. After all, you were the one who barged into my home," I mocked with a slight smile forming on my lips. She looked away from me, ashamed at what she had done. I chuckled at her shame. "No need to feel ashamed dear, it's quite alright. You sought somewhere to stay and found this home, thinking it was vacant."

"Well, there sure weren't many signs of life from the outside," She mumbled sadly.

"I try to keep my presence in these woods discrete. What might bring you out here?"

"You still haven't answered my question," She retorted, completely ignoring my question, as if it were never spoken. Somehow, it took me aback at how protective she seemed of herself.

"My name is Edna. I am a vampire, such as yourself. Now, out of courtesy, you must introduce yourself."

She looked at me once, took a deep breath and said: "Bella."

"Such a pretty name. Now, will you answer my question or retort one of your own?" Bella eyed me cautiously and made me chuckle softly. "A cautious one. I like that. You worry about my intentions."

"Look, I just wanted to die. I didn't want to be saved. And this seemed like a great place to die. Now, what do you want with me?" She asked, her voice slightly agitated and irritated. Bella tried to stand up but still seemed quite weak.

"Why on earth would you like to die? You have so much to live for," I asked, surprised by her statement.

"You have no idea what I've been through in the last few days. I have my reasons to want to die." Bella's face was stern and protected. She wouldn't explain her reasons to me anytime soon, not unless we got to know each other better. Maybe it was a good idea to keep her around.

"Well, as long as you're alive, you can stay here as long as you want. You're welcome to stay in my home until you decide your life is no longer meaningful. In the meantime, you get your spirit back while I get some work done."

Standing up, I started to walk towards the door but was stopped by Bella's voice. "What do you mean, 'get my spirit back'? How did you know I was still alive?" She asked sceptically.

Turning around, I smiled and said: "You know, for a vampire, you ask many questions."

"Well, I'm new to all of this vampire life anyways." My smile fell automatically.

"How old are you?" was my simple question.

Bella shrugged and surprised me by saying: "Last time I counted, nine days." My mouth dropped immensely. She was only nine days old and tried to kill herself? She must have been starving right when she transformed. I'm amazed that she could last _nine_ days without blood. "I tried as best as possible to stay around people to end my life faster."

"Whenever you want to explain those reasons to me, feel free to do so. For the meantime, I'll be in my office if you need anything," I answered with a kind smile before exiting the room. My smile instantly faded when I closed the door. How could one person want death so badly? I remember a very old friend of mine wanted to die just after his transformation. He thought being a vampire was an abomination. Well, then again, that was in the sixteen hundreds. I missed Carlisle. It had been many decades since we'd seen each other. His family is absolutely lovely.

I hope Bella finds a family just like his soon.

**Rosalie's Point of View**

I'd always resented Bella because of the fact that she was human and could conceive while I couldn't. But now… now my mind was set in reverse. Bella didn't do anything wrong. She has—dare I say it—a good heart and would do anything for others. I was so jealous about the fact that Bella was human that it consumed me completely.

Bella hadn't deserved my hatred. Well, it's not that I hated her, there was nothing to hate. It took me too long to figure out that Bella was a kind person and was the perfect woman for Edward. God… how stupid was I to stand between those two?

When Alice's scream pierced the forest, it snapped me out of my mental hatred and made me turn around to see my sister in a river having a vision, hopefully one that could point us in the right direction in finding Bella.

**Alice's Point of View**

We hadn't stopped running since I had the vision of Bella's 'death'. Still the thought that she might have died made me scared to death. I don't know what she could have seen when she woke up but it was some sort of trick. Never would we say that she was a burden or even that we didn't love her. That's what ruined this whole thing! The fact that Bella heard something completely different and felt rejected. Had something gone wrong during her change? Nothing seemed out of the ordinary from the outside…

But suddenly, just as we were running through the forest and leaping from rivers, a vision hit me full force, sending me back a few steps and making me fall into the river.

_Bella was lying on a bed, her eyes squinting as she woke up. Her eyelids fluttered open and she looked around the room, trying to focus on the room around her. She sat up and found herself face to face with the woman with long black hair and golden eyes. "Hello," The woman greeted._

"_Who are you?" Bella asked cautiously._

"_I should be asking you the same question. You were, after all, the one who have barged into my home," The woman said with a slight smile. Her tone wasn't angry or sad. Just trying to find an answer. Bella looked away from the woman and, out of nowhere, the black haired woman laughed heartedly. "No need to feel ashamed. It's quite alright."_

"_You still haven't answered my question," Bella remarked, her face emotionless and careful. Such a clever girl. _

"_My name is Edna. I am a vampire, such as yourself. Now out of courtesy, you must introduce yourself," The woman named Edna said. She didn't seem to be a danger to Bella. If anyone tried to hurt my sister, then they would have to deal with me. _

"_Bella," was her only word. Bella was being careful with this woman. It was surprising. Bella has been through hell in the last week and a half. I wouldn't blame her for being cautious. _

"_Such a pretty name. Now, will you answer my question or retort one of your own?" The woman asked but Bella didn't answer. She just kept on staring at her. "A cautious one. I like that. You worry about my intentions," Edna said with a slight chuckle._

"_Look, I just wanted to die. I didn't want to be saved. And this seemed like a great place to die. Now, what do you want with me?" Bella retorted angrily. _

"_Why on earth would you want to die? You have so much to live for."_

"_You have no idea what I've been through in the last few days. I have my reasons to want to die," Bella's face was stern and unmoving. Why would she want to die so much? We love her! _

"_Well, as long as you're alive, you can stay here as long as you want. You're welcome to stay in my home until you decide your life is no longer meaningful. In the meantime, you get your spirit back while I get some work done." And the vision faded abruptly with Edna's smile shining in the room. _

Looking around, I found that I was in a river, drenched through my clothes. Jasper had his arms around me, his face stern and curious. "What did you see, Alice?" Jasper asked worriedly. But I couldn't get the thought out of my mind… How could Bella just want to abandon us like this? And she wanted to die so badly… But there was one good thing about my vision.

"I know where Bella is."

**Alright so what did you think? Good? Bad? Well, if you guys didn't like it, there's going to be an even better chapter in store for you guys. So please REVIEW and tell me what you thought! I don't want to lose my readers!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

6


	8. History of the past

**Ok so I know it's been a while but please hear me out. I had A LOT of trouble writing this chapter and it's basically a miracle that I have gotten it finished now. I didn't think I would be able to do it but I have. And I also had a lot of inspiration for 'A friend's courage' so that took precipice over this story. I'm very sorry for the delay and I will be surprised to see how many people have still been waiting impatiently for this next chapter. So without further ado, please READ AND REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight! Wish I did though…**

Chapter 7

History of the past

**Bella's Point of View**

Edna… She seemed nice. She had saved me when I tried to die but who could blame her? Edna saw a girl on her floor barely alive and she saved her. Of course that would be her first action. And there's nothing that could have stopped her either. When awakening, she was there, sitting on a chair asking if I was feeling alright.

She seemed sweet, kind and caring… Exactly like… Esme.

As I sat there in her bed, looking at the door, I began to wonder about many things. Should I go back to my original plan and try to run away to die? Obviously that first plan failed very easily. What else could I do? There weren't many options available at the moment. Running my fingers through my hair and sighing, I got out of the bed and walked towards the door, hesitating at the doorknob. Would Edna let me stay here? After what she had to do for me, it would be very surprising if she said yes. But hey, I'd never find out if I never asked.

Taking a deep unnecessary breath, I turned the knob and walked towards the main hall. Everything around me was made of wood: the doors, the floors, everything! Had she built this all herself? For a vampire, it's not that unnatural but if she was human, then it would be incredible. Walking further through the hallway, I soon arrived in a familiar room. This is where I had fainted and Edna helped me heal. Edna was standing in front of a counter, her head bent forward.

Approaching her slowly, she didn't move. "If you would like to help me, you're more than welcome," she said, making me jump a foot in the air. How did she know I was here? Well, duh! She's a vampire. My scent could be easily detected and my footsteps could be heard like a hammer hitting the floor.

Approaching her slowly and hesitantly, she still kept her head bent at the counter, only moving her arms in sign that she was actually doing something. What was Edna doing? When approaching the counter, my eyes detected that she was doing chemical experiments on blood. What was she trying to do?

Looking at her, it reminded me of when my eyes opened just a few hours ago and saw her sitting beside me, asking if I was alright. She didn't know me… yet she saved my life from Death's hands. I should thank her for what she had done… but in a way, when looking at her, it only reminded me of Rosalie's figure—considering she looked uncannily like Rosalie—and Esme's kindness. Just thinking about them made my heart clench in pain.

"You may sit down and speak, if that is your intention," Edna spoke, still looking down in her microscope. How had she known what I wanted to do…?

Sitting down, I pulled up a chair close to her and watched her analyse a small drop of blood. "How did you know that?" I asked softly, still feeling odd about the way my voice sounds now. It seems too… perfect, which I am definitely far from. Especially if Edward doesn't want me anymore…

"I could tell by your stance. I might not have been looking but your spiritual energy seemed shaky. Normally, that means you want to either ask something or speak your mind. Feel free to do so if that is your intention," Edna said, looking at me with those soft golden eyes, eyes that reminded me too much of the Cullens that, after a few seconds, I had to look away. It was too painful to think about them and how they betrayed me… No, not betrayed. Simply thrown away…

Looking down at my hands, my fingers began fiddling with one another nervously. "I… I wanted to thank you for saving me. I know I was ungrateful when waking up but I was just scared… This is just… Well, let's just say that it's been a horrible experience since I was changed," I explained, looking at her slightly, trying to force myself not to think of the Cullens when looking in her golden eyes, golden eyes that reminded me so much of Carlisle's wise eyes.

Edna looked away from her microscope and fixated her eyes on mine, turning in her chair to face me with her hands on her lap, like I'd seen Esme do so many times… Why couldn't I stop thinking about them? Why did they have such a hold on me when they want nothing to do with me anymore? "It's quite alright Bella. It would have been a shame to waste the life of such a kind person such as yourself. I can already tell that you've suffered a lot recently but it really would have been a horrible waste to let you die. You really do have a kind soul, Bella," Edna explained with a soft smile on her face.

Deciding to slightly ignore her statement, I took the conversation into a slightly but completely different turn. "Have you seen that because of your gift?" I asked hesitantly.

Edna nodded and began speaking again. "Yes, in a way. But I also see it in your eyes. It's as if I can see the kindness and selflessness you offer others. But I can also see sadness and pain in them, as if something has affected you harshly recently. You don't have to tell me now but, in time, I hope that you can confine in me," she said, placing a warm smile on her face as she kept gazing into my eyes.

Looking in her eyes, I knew that her offer was truthful and filled with care. It felt so much like she could be someone that I can trust, that I could open up to… Maybe telling her a little bit about myself without revealing _too_ much about my life wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Looking back down at my hands, it seemed as though part of the truth about myself slipped out of my mouth and filled the room. "When I woke up, I thought that my supposed family would accept me. Instead…" Sighing, I looked up at Edna and looked her square in the eyes. "They threw me away as if I was nothing to them."

Edna frowned slightly at my explanation and nodded slowly, running her slim fingers against the granite counter and seemed to be deep in thought. "I know exactly how you feel, Bella. I've had the same experience when I had first been changed all those years ago, which is why I am here, secluded from everything and everyone."

"I suppose that I have destroyed that solitude?" I asked, staring at her softly and leaning back in the chair.

Edna chuckled softly and turned her attention back to me, never removing her fingers from the counter. "You might have but I don't mind. It feels nice to be around people once again. And besides, you need a place to stay for a little while and I've been without company for far too many years," she replied, hoping to lessen the mood in the atmosphere and make me smile.

Luckily, she succeeded. "How old are you exactly?"

"I just celebrated my two hundred and eighty-third birthday." My eyes literally shot open when she mentioned her age, which apparently made her chuckle in amusement. "Surprised, are we? I assume that, for a newborn, it is quite old but I assure you that I still look seventeen on the outside," she mentioned with a soft smile.

"Don't worry; I've met older people than you. Car—" It was as if my heart began crippling within itself when nearly speaking Carlisle's name. How was this so painful…? Of course they had been my supposed family but they deserted me the minute I was reborn. They shouldn't matter to me anymore… Oh, who was I kidding? That was an impossible thing to say. They will always matter to me, even in death. Looking away, I placed my hand on the counter and looked at the granite work. "Um… Someone I knew was three hundred and seventy-two years old…"

Edna nodded and seemed to have recognized my expression. "This family that hurt you, was this man part of it?" Nodding, she nodded once and looked at her blood vials on the counter. When looking at them, it made me want it so badly. And the smell… it was intoxicating. I could immediately tell that it was human blood but it didn't seem to affect Edna at all. How long had she been able to hold back against the definite urge to drink all of this blood? "And they are the reason that you wanted to end your life this soon?"

"The only reason that I wanted to be a vampire was to be with… _him_… But seeing as he doesn't feel anything for me now that I'm a vampire, I don't see where else that I belong. I can't go back to my father's or my mother's and, well, you're the only person I've seen, apart from _them_, since I was changed," I explained, watching her expression to see what she would do next. Maybe it was a poor excuse to want to die but being a vampire meant nothing if Edward wasn't there with me, by my side, loving me for the rest of eternity. And yes, it is a selfish thing to think of. Maybe he _would _be better off with that woman he had mentioned… Tanya.

But Edna simply looked back at me and placed a hand on one of mine, gripping it softly. "You and I have a lot in common, Bella," she said, smiling ever so softly at me as she kept her gaze locked with mine.

"How so?"

"During my years of being a vampire, mostly in the beginning, I tried to affiliate myself with men and see how far our relationships could go. I tried as best as possible to stay around vampire men but they were sometimes hard to find, especially in the time. Every time I would try and explain to that person my true nature, they would turn against me, even after months of trust. They could never want the new me because they thought that I would damn them the minute that they turned their backs. No one has truly loved me in over two centuries. It is also one of the many reasons why I stay secluded from everything and everyone," she explained, her smile fading ever so slightly that now, it looked like she was grimacing. "Now, I use my gift to determine who is true and who is faking."

"So, your power is to what exactly? You told me that you could tell how I was feeling from my… spiritual presence? How does that work?" I asked, leaning a little bit forward out of curiosity. It had been the first time that I had heard of someone using spiritual presences as a power.

"Imagine your soul as an orb. And that orb shows different colours, such as black for death, red for anger, yellow for happiness, the list goes on. My eyes let me see that orb. If a person has a strong spiritual presence, then the orb will be large and full of life," she said, motioning with both of her hands the size of a circular object, which I was guessing was the orb she was mentioning. "But in your case, when I found you, it was barely there anymore. It was smaller than the nail of a pinkie finger." Edna lifted her pinkie finger and showed me her nail, using her fore finger and index finger to show just a small part of her nail, indicating how small my spirit had been just a few hours ago. "If I'd found you just a few minutes to an hour later, then you would not be here, talking to me as you are."

It was quite the shock when she explained how I'd been so weak when she had found me. Looking back on my actions, had it really been that selfish to want to die? Sure, Edward and his family had rejected me because, as I had feared for so long, I wasn't good enough to stand next to them but it shouldn't have brought me to want to die. It should have just made me want to run and be away from Forks, maybe forever.

But I shouldn't have wanted to kill myself. Or maybe I did want to but her explanation of my spiritual pressure is clouding my judgement. This was all so confusing…

"I… All I can really say is thank you. I… I don't know what else I can do to—"

"Just… promise me one thing," Edna said, interrupting my stuttering. Looking at her, I did nothing else but nod, the only thing that could be done right now. "Promise me that you will try and live your eternal life to the fullest. I know that there are many things that have happened in your life that you feel as though there is no point in continuing to live but… there are so many things to look forward to. Just try and live it completely alright? So that I may feel that you haven't thrown away that second chance that I have just given you."

It seemed reasonable enough. After what she did for me, it didn't sound so wrong to do what she said. Maybe in the future, I could forget about the… Cullens… like they've forgotten about me. Nodding, I said: "I can do that. Maybe I should start with a hunt first. Would it be alright if I went out for a little while?"

Edna nodded with a smile. "Of course it's alright. Have a good hunt," she said as I stood up and went towards the door. But suddenly, as I wanted to open it, a thought stopped me dead in my tracks, which Edna seemed to have noticed. "Is there something the matter?"

"I…" I began, bowing my head slightly ashamed. "I have nowhere else to go…"

A small chuckle ran behind me, making me look at her. But she smiled at me and looked at me with a warm expression. "I had thought that all of this talking would have made it clear that you are welcome to stay here as long as you need to. It would be nice to be able to have some company and you seem like the perfect addition to this place. If you'd like to stay here, then you are welcome to stay," she explained, smiling throughout the entire explanation. But it also brought a smile to my face to hear this. This woman was welcoming and sweet. What better place to stay than here with her?

Nodding, I smiled at her and gripped the doorknob. "Thank you. I'll come back after my hunt and maybe we can start to talk a little bit more," I said before opening the door and walking out into the misty afternoon, clouds hiding the sun from shining upon my skin.

At least the Cullens wouldn't find me. They probably were glad to think that I was dead. They wouldn't have to have me as a burden anymore…

**Carlisle's Point of View**

We'd been running for what seemed like an eternity but we didn't stop. We couldn't stop. This was Bella's life that we were talking about. We needed to bring her back. She belonged in this family. And we needed to make sure that she was in fact safe and alive.

After a few hours, we had finally arrived at the location of Alice's vision. And she was right. There was a small wooden cabin just a few feet away from the cliff's edge. I had known this house very well. It brought a lot of old friendly memories, which also brought a small smile to my face when seeing it.

Esme must have seen the change in me, for she looked in my direction and placed her hand in mine, letting me turn my head to look her deep in the eyes. "You really do know this place, don't you?" she asks in a small and soft voice.

Nodding, I looked back at the wooden cabin and squeezed Esme's hand once. "I spent a lot of time visiting here. It's a welcoming place and the person living here may be able to answer our questions, so long as the help is willingly given."

"I can smell Bella's scent all around here. She must be close," Edward said, the frown never leaving his face. He was devastated when Bella had left running from the house, thinking that he didn't love her anymore, and now, his resolve to get her back was stronger than ever. She needed to come back to us… We needed her. My son needed her. "But I can't pinpoint in which direction she went."

"It's alright, there seems to be someone inside so maybe we can ask them?" Emmett offered, searching around in hopes of stumbling upon Bella's form in the forest. If we could only talk to her and explain everything… then it would be a step in the right direction.

Nodding, I walked over to the wooden door and knocked, waiting for the sound of light footsteps to approach the door. As memory served, the footsteps were the same as all those decades ago. They were light and graceful, just like Esme's. And when the door opened, my eyes fell upon the blonde woman in front of us, looking from my family members before finally falling upon me.

A small smile came to my face when seeing her lean against the doorframe. She had never changed. "Hello Edna," I said in a soft voice, remembering every detail of my old friend.

"Hello Carlisle. What a surprise."

**Ok so what did you guys think? Good? Bad? Could be better? Please let me know in some REVIEWS! And now that I have gotten inspiration for this chapter again, the next chapter should be coming in soon :D So please REVIEW!**

**Mortal-v.a-twicharmed20**

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